Experimental Sensitivity Enhancement of a Quantum Rydberg Atom-Based RF Receiver with a Metamaterial GRIN Lens

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2512.04298v1
• Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2025 22:22:08 GMT
• Title: Experimental Sensitivity Enhancement of a Quantum Rydberg Atom-Based RF Receiver with a Metamaterial GRIN Lens
• Authors: Anton Tishchenko, Demos Serghiou, Ashwin Thelappilly Joy, Paul Marsh, Paul Martin, Tim Brown, Gabriele Gradoni, Mohsen Khalily, Rahim Tafazolli,
• Abstract summary: atom-based Rydberg radio frequency (RF) receiver integrated with a gradient refractive index (GRIN) Luneburg-type metamaterial lens.<n>By analyzing the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect in Cesium vapor, we compare receiver performance with and without the GRIN lens under a 2.2GHz and a 3.6GHz far-field excitation.
• Score: 14.141557778235525
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: We experimentally demonstrate enhanced sensitivity of an atom-based Rydberg radio frequency (RF) receiver integrated with a gradient refractive index (GRIN) Luneburg-type metamaterial lens. By analyzing the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect in Cesium vapor, we compare receiver performance with and without the GRIN lens under a 2.2~GHz and a 3.6~GHz far-field excitation. Our measurements reveal a significant amplification of the EIT transparency window when the lens is introduced, consistent with the theoretical prediction that the local E-field enhancement at the vapor cell reduces the minimum detectable electric field and increases the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the Rydberg RF receiver. This experimental validation highlights the potential of metamaterial-assisted quantum sensing to overcome the inherent bandwidth and sensitivity limitations of bare Rydberg receivers for a variety of applications, such as electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, quantum radar, and wireless communications.

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